European-Palestinian Council for Political Relations

The European-Palestinian Council for Political Relations (EUPAC) is a non-governmental organization established by European, Palestinian and Arab personalities who united their efforts to create a dedicated platform for political relations between Europe and Palestine. According to its own account, the Council was formed because political relations are always subject to development and can be reversed or distorted by many factors; from this starting point, EUPAC aims to invest in the geo-strategic importance of the Middle East and its historical and current role in political, cultural and humanitarian relations with Europe. The Council's stated mission is to build bridges and bring together different points of view in order to advance mutual understanding with Europe, at a time when Palestinians continue to struggle towards liberation from occupation and enjoy massive international support for their cause. EUPAC says it seeks to ensure open channels of communication that can support European political and humanitarian work in the Palestinian community. EUPAC pursues three main objectives. First, enhancing communication: contributing to the development of European channels of communication with Palestine and its people through positive relations at the political, scientific, cultural and civil-society levels. Second, raising awareness: raising awareness in Europe about the challenges facing Palestinians across the political, developmental and economic arenas, and promoting an understanding of European policy-making in Palestine. Third, realistic understanding: promoting in Europe an understanding of the Palestinian cause that is grounded in reality and supported by evidence. The Council says it works to achieve these goals through civil, political and diplomatic means, including conferences and seminars, awareness campaigns and related activities. Its website functions as a news and advocacy hub, publishing reports and commentary on topics such as UN databases of companies linked to Israeli settlements, EU-Israeli trade arrangements, solidarity with Palestinian journalists, and cultural and sporting controversies in Europe. The organization presents itself as a civil-society actor rather than a commercial enterprise, and its activities center on advocacy, information and relationship-building rather than on selling products or services.

The European-Palestinian Council for Political Relations (EUPAC) was established by a group of European, Palestinian and Arab personalities who, according to the organization's own account, met and united their efforts to create a dedicated body for political relations between Europe and Palestine. The Council explains its founding rationale by noting that political relations are always subject to development and can be reversed or distorted by many factors; it therefore set out to invest in the geo-strategic importance of the Middle East and its historical and current role in political, cultural and humanitarian relations with Europe. EUPAC frames its work around the continuing Palestinian struggle for liberation from occupation and the broad international support for the Palestinian cause. In this context, the Council says it is necessary to build bridges and bring together various points of view in order to advance mutual understanding with Europe, ensuring open channels of communication that can support European political and humanitarian work in the Palestinian community. The organization defines three objectives: enhancing communication between Europe and Palestine at the political, scientific, cultural and civil-society levels; raising awareness in Europe about the challenges facing Palestinians in the political, developmental and economic arenas while promoting understanding of European policy-making in Palestine; and promoting an understanding of the Palestinian cause in Europe that is grounded in reality and supported by evidence. To pursue these goals, EUPAC says it uses civil, political and diplomatic means, including conferences and seminars and awareness campaigns. In practice, EUPAC operates a bilingual public website that serves as a news and advocacy hub. Its published content covers topics such as the United Nations Human Rights Office adding companies to its database of businesses linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, European trade measures, EU-Israeli trade arrangements, the situation of Palestinian journalists, and cultural and sporting controversies in Europe. The organization presents itself as a civil-society actor focused on advocacy, information and relationship-building rather than as a commercial enterprise.

Civil-society and advocacy platform promoting political, cultural and humanitarian dialogue between Europe and Palestine.

1. 1European Palestinian Council for Political Relations – European Palestinian Council for Political Relationseupac.org
2. 2About – European Palestinian Council for Political Relationseupac.org
3. 3European-Palestinian Council for Political Relationswikidata.org